Nurses with the Perth District Health Unit head to conciliation next Wednesday, October 11, 2017.
The 42 Ontario Nurses Association members have been without a contract since December 2016.
The Public Health Nurses, Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners provide a variety of services, including child development, communicable disease protection, and health education.
They serve over 77,000 people across 2,200 sq km.
ONA President Linda Haslam Stroud says they provide an invaluable service and are dealing with issues of homelessness, addiction and overdoses.
"As nurses, we expect the employer to come to conciliation prepared to offer a fair contract to our skilled and knowledgeable public health nurses, registered nurses and nurse practitioners, so they can continue to deliver excellent services to their community," says Haslam-Stroud. "ONA always prefers to reach a negotiated settlement, but should conciliation fail, this employer may force our nurses to strike."
